Quake Alchemist
by Arkive Demone
Summary: Charles Smith, son of the greatest State Alchemist of his generation. Presured by military, scared by the past, and with a dozen friends by his side, he tries to find what he truly wants, a place to belong. But after he loses a good friend, hell rises....
1. The Mountain of Flowers

(Note that before I start this story, This is a spinoff of FMA I thought of. Note that I don't own FMA in anyway, this is for entertainment purposes only. And this was based on a web-RPG site, so anyone from the site, your characters have been renamed. I'm sorry, but I needed them to sound in the norm. Also they might look a bit different, like Kin, ya cant look like Link. Sorry. Here's your charry and the people they are now.

Namiko-Hiliary Wald

Aiome-Heather Wald

Kin-Seth Nolan

Fayt-Charles Smith

Albel-Maximus Smith

Rannkid-Sean Nolan

Ben Ben Valen

Alex Greystorm-You're fine

Riku-Ross Demone

Devyn Catherwood-You're fine

Asuka-Bailey Coin

Shena Vandiver-You're fine.

Taiyama-Julean Vandiver

Morzan-Chris Draise

Taka-Dylon Vouise

Taka's Son-Ian Vouise

Drake Firestorm-You're fine

Josh Takoshi-Josh Trenton

Josh Hill-You're fine

Lance Avheart- You're fine

Colm-Russel

"Sky"-You're fine

(Others shall be added at a later time)

**The Quake Alchemist**

_There are always stories. Whether it be jokes you tell you buddies at the bar, a story from the war from way-back-when, or just a simple story about what happen at work on monday. We all have stories, and in that way we are all the same. I can't beileve it took me all this time to realize this simple truth. One way or another, all of our stories are intertwined. So please, take some time to hear as our stories came together, as one..._

**Chapter 1: The Mountain of Flowers**

We all wore black that day, as any person would. We stood atop the soft grass as the casket was lowered. Shena kept herself calm. She never was one for causing a scene, though we all would perfectly understand if she did. Hell, we all wanted to. Julean was a great person. He didn't deserve what he got, but he got it anyway. Max and I were gonna have a nice little chat after this was over...

I looked around a bit while the conclusion of the ceremony took place. Seth (Nextif) had the most puzzled look on his face, like he really couldn't believe what was happening. Figures, seeing as Julez (Just a nickname we gave him) was one of the few that could easily defeat him. We'd always go take annual trips to Kin's automail shop in Rush Valley to hang out and wait 'till Kin drank too much and challenged Julez to a fight. Good times.

Josh (Hill) stood with the other soldiers. They all came to the funeral of a state alchemist, not Julean. Most of those uniformed people there had no clue who he was. It was in there pay-check to attend these things. Though I guess I can't blame them. It's there job. They've chosen their way to live and I respect that...doesn't mean I have to like it.

Alex (Greystorm) was there as well, Julean was a good customer at his inn as well as a good friend. He loaned him a room free of charge whenever needed. Alex was always the type of person who you could rely on for study space or just a place to sleep. Guy also new his herbs. Can't count the number of times he saved me when I was on the edge, as well as many others.

Drake (Firestorm) was there with more of a blank look. He would always listen to Julez' stories of the State Exam and his exiteing beat-downs on criminals (which between us, I'm fair sure half, if not more, of those stories were bogus just to keep Drake intrested.) Drake always wanted to become a state alchemist. Just an ambition of his, and with that shocking touch he had, I never doubted him...

I took another glance at the crowd of soldiers to notice the other Josh (Trenton) stand further back than Hill. I guess higher rank were in the front or something like that, didn't matter. Never really liked Trenton. Can't really say why, some people just don't click you know? Guy couldn't fight, wasn't fast, just more of a desk-job guy. Boring and bleak. He'd have been a higher rank if the higher ups knew he could do alchemy without circles...

Dylon (Vouise) chose not to stand with the other military officals. We all stood in front and/or around him so not to get noticed. Dylon and Julez were close, real close. He most likely figured that Julean would like it he came here as his friend, not as a soldier. Dylon was a damn good shot. He's most likely the best Amestris has ever seen. The week before the funeral he would always say, "I should have been there, I could have helped him." He was right. He should have. But he wasn't. I hate to say it but, shit happens.

Ian (Vouise), like Drake, wished to become a state alchemist, and work for his father. He was really good at manipulating water. Him and Drake would always beat each other into a pulp, always argueing about who would become a state alchemist first. I personally thought Drake had more of a chance of becoming a state alchemist first, he had already developed his alchemic abilities, but Ian was a damn hard worker, and I'm sure he would become a state alchemist not far from now.

Chris (Draise) on the other hand, was not there. Smart man. No deserter would be arrogant enough to show his head here. Chris was most likely waiting for Dylon to come home. He had been hiding out there for about eight months now. Every night he would practice with his sniper, shooting trash on the streets (He had a high quality silencer). I know, Dylon didn't live far from the inn.

Lance (Avheart) was also concealed in our numbers. The war was long over, but we all knew Hill held a grudge. Lance was a nice guy, all there is to it. He was the guy that always broke the fights up, try to help anyone, anytime, and was a real ladies man. To be honest I had no idea how he did it, the guy had talent.

Hiliary (Wald) was there, but she left her daughter, Heather, at home, a child of four should never see such a thing, though I'm sure it's happened, and will happen again...but not with her kid. Hiliary was a very over protective parent, and who can blame her? Hiliary was in some, for lack of a better phrase, deep shit before she had Heather. Big druggie, wrong crowd, wrong guys, what more can I say? Heather looked up to Julez, I guess that's one of the main reasons we wouldn't want her here. Julean was a father figure, something that kid never had.

Everyone started pouring out of the grave-yard. I didn't feel obligated to stay, the only on that did was Sheena, and that was by far understandable. I began to leave in a slow yet steady pace...

"Smith, if you have a moment?" I heard Hill , saying it more like it was an order than a question. I took a deep sigh and pulled out a cigarette. This was going to be fun.

"Smith," Josh said as he approached in his perfect robot walk,that walk were one foot goes foward, and so does the opposite arm. So organized. Like I gave a damn if the guy knew how to walk. "You are aware that the Exams are approaching soon right?"

There it was. The line he said every year. "Let's see..." I placed my hand on my hand my hip and swayed to the side, closing my eyes, shutting them tight, "You have no idea how much I'm trying to care..."

He interupted my little joke, "Your father would be very dissapointed." He used that line every time. I thought every year when I told him how much I didn't care what my father would think of me, he got the message.

"You tell the Quake Alchemist I don't give, okay? Can you do that?" I asked with a "Screw you" smirk.

"You know I can't do that Smith..." He said rolling his eyes.

"That's right, you can't, because he's not around anymore is he Hill? And now that you realize that, now think WHY I WOULD CARE WHAT HE WOULD THINK OF ME?!?!!" I exlaimed in a roar. No one seemed to notice, this was a normal thing. Hill confronts me, talks about the Exams, I make a smartass joke, he mentions my father, I yell. Life goes on.

"So I won't be seeing you there this year?" Josh asked walking off.

"Now you're learning." I said watching him hasten his way out of the field. I really hated that guy, the persistant bastard.

I made my way to the exit as well, watching a person enter with a bouquet of flowers. I figured it was a person that Julez had helped. He was one of the few alchemist that were actually for the people. I saw as he approached Sheena with the flowers, and she had a suprised look on her face. I could lip-read the words "Thank you" as she took the flowers and laid them on the grave.

I made my way to the inn. That night we had a little silent moment together, Alex and I and everyone at the inn. Hours later Sheena arrived and stayed the night there. I guess she didn't want to be alone.

The next day I decided to visit Julez' grave on my own. When I got there I couldn't beileve my eyes. A mountain it seemed of flowers neared the top of the tombstone, of all different sizes and colors. They were spread around the grave, some on the grave, some around the tombstone. There must have been at least fifty. I spent an hour there, beholding his final resting place and his parting tribute, the mountain of flowers.


	2. Everything Ends in Profit or Debt

**Chapter 2: Everything Ends in Profit or Debt**

It had been nearly a week since Julez' funeral, and there were no drastic improvements. I was back to work for Dylon. I was starting to save up enough money to finally get out of that inn and into the city with a house. Central, the city of chance. Everything you do in that city could end up breaking you or making you...filthy rich. My job as Dylon's personal spy payed good, and it kept me intrested. When he didn't have anything important for me to do, he'd tell me to keep an eye on Ian. A stupid request, but again, it paid good.

I walked down the stairs with more ease than usual. It was my first day off since the funeral, and I was gonna get my mind off of the whole incident. Don't get me wrong, I missed the guy, but i need time to relax. I'm only human...

It was the same routine as usual. I get my gear from Alex ( he would hold onto it for the night, inn's rules) which consited of the following: one dagger, 9 inch blade of steel, 4 inch hilt of the same, two Mauser C-96s, model 712, 13 clips, and one broadsword, 45 inch blade of pure titanium, hilt made of silver, 6 inches.

"Ya know," Alex said lugging out my equipment from behind the counter, "If you were to just sell this stuff, you'de be a lot closer to buying that houseyou're always talking about..."

I put on my stuff in a hurry. Days were short in Central, hard to keep track of time. Best to start the day as soon as possible. "True, unfortuanatly it's not mine to sell." I said strapping on my side-arms. He gave me an odd look, roled his eyes (people seemed to be doing that lately...) and went back to leaning on the counter, reading some book on herbs. "Damn guy needs to find a house already, walkin around my inn with stolen guns and blades..." I heard him mumble as I walked out the door. He was right. I did need a house, but the stuff wasn't stolen...another time.

As expected, Dylon was waiting for me, or should I say for my notebook. Every Saturday, I get the day off, and he gets any information I found, on the task I've been given, from my notebook. If he finds anything good, I get my salary and a little bonus, if not, I get my salary. Either way, I'm happy.

I toss him the notebook and wave. He catches it, waves back, and glances at the first page. He gets in his car and drives off to HQ, and I pretend to be none the wiser. Welcome to my day off.

I went to Central Market, the most talkative place on the town. Though it is my day off, I often looked foward to hearing the latest about whats-his-face and that-one-chick. Rumors never ceased to amaze me.

I didn't really have anything to sell, and no money to buy anything with. I guess I went there for the cheap thrill of gossip. Maybe I was to bored and to tired to walk back to the inn so early. MaybeI was destined to meet Russell that day...but I'm not a big beilever in fate.

"Stop! Ceize and decist now!" Yelled a police officer chasing a black haired guy somewhere about 20-23, my age, down the sidewalk. The man was clearly faster than the cop so I figured it was my turn to play good guy in Julean's absence.

"Your don't think yelling at him will stop him, really? Haven't you ever heard of the whole sticks and stones thing?" A joke as I ran past the cop and toward the man. He took a quick look to notice someone was catching up with him, and took a sharp left into an alleyway. (It still amazes me that whenever the bad guy needs an escape route, theres an alley, but when it comes to me, never.)

It didn't take him long to notice that the alley was a dead end. He turned back to me, and I saw his face clearly for the first time. The guy was scared outta his mind, a blind man could see that. He panicked. He pulled out a dagger and backed up against the wall, as if to make sure I couldn't magically appear behind him. "Stay back, I'm not going to jail!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up." I said as I put my index finger over my mouth, to show him incase he was so paniced he couldn't understand words. "Keep yelling like that and they'll be here any second."

"You're...not gonna arrest me?" I liked this guy, he was pretty smart. "Why?"

"Because I'm not my father..." I said. If I wanted to help this guy, I needed a divertion. I signaled for him to wait and he seemed to understand, seeing as he froze on the spot. I ran to the end of the alley.

Three or four cops had arrived just that second. "Hey, get back here punk!!!" I yelled as loud as I could and ran across the street into another small path between some buildings. The MPs followed, and I took a turn at the end of the alley onto a nearby street. I don't think they saw me, and if they did they chose not to follow me.

I hurried my way around the block back to the waiting theif. "You got a name?" I asked jerking my head to one side, letting him know we needed to leave, now.

"Russell." He said as we exited the alley, staying on my left, closest to the wall of the building, concealed behind me. "Just moved here from Dublith."

"Got a last name?" I asked. We were close to the inn now. I figured Alex would loan him a room for the time being. Correction, I'de have to pay for his room. I'de already used up all my free room begs.

"Why's that matter?" I noticed he was starting to get on the defensive. Of course he would, I was starting to act like an MP with all the questions. I was starting to act like my dad. Guess it was a bad habit. I'de always wanted to be like him until...another time. For now I had to get this guy to the inn.

"It doesn't, just curious. Don't meet many people around Central, hard to find friends." I led him inside and explained the situation to Alex. Took about half an hour to persuade him to let a criminal stay in his inn. Said I owed him. I always owed somebody something those days...

He grabbed my arm as I tried to walk away. I gave him a shocked look. I didn't know if he had changed his mind or what, but I was gonna find out.

"You forgot your package." Alex said. He handed me an envelope from, "Sherry Kilde at 1285 Forest Rd." Fake name, fake address. Dylon would send different contracts to the inn and deliver my money under a different name and address every saturday. I put the envelope and stuffed it in my pocket.

I walked Russell up to a room. "You're gonna be staying here, paying me, got it?"

"I'll do no such thing! Why the hell should I pay you?" He asked in a louder tone than I liked. He was gonna find that out fast.

"BECAUSE." I yelled loud enough for the entire inn to hear, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall, and told him my reasoning as fast as I can in a library voice, "Because-I-just-saved-your-ass-and-I have-to-pay-for-your-damn-room-and-sorry-to-tell-you-this-but-everything-ends-in-debt-or-profit-and-you-got-the-short-end-of-the-stick. UNDERSTAND?" I asked as I realesed him, letting him land on his feet making us eye-to-eye again.

"As long as I'm not going to jail, I guess." He said walking toward the bed and slumping down, seeming to fall asleep instantly. I turned toward the door and got out of the room.

"Hey Charles!" I heard Alex yell up the stairs. "Ya got a visitor. Hurry up and get down here so he'll leave!" He proclaimed with an all-too-serious tone.

"Real nice Alex..." I heard Seth say in a low voice. That was just what I needed. A trigger happy freak in my day off. I walked down the stairs to the mechanic. He mesured up to about six feet even, about 2 inches above myself. His short blonde hair resembled that of a homeless person, not really groomed in anyway, but it fit him. He was fairly built, and wore clothes that were too big for him, saying it helped him move easier. Despite his looks, he was fairly rich, enough to run and own his own shop, one of the top five in Rush Valley.

"Hey, Charlie-Boy, I guess something to talk to ya about." He said with a huge smirk. I knew right then, this wasn't going to be pleasent. "Let's go up to your room. Private discussion." He said it just to piss Alex off. I knew it, he knew it, Alex knew it. Seth loved to piss Alex off. Worst part is he was good at it.

"I thought you already went back to the Valley." I said shutting the door behind him as he came in.

"I did, then I came back. I got an idea Charles and I thought you might like it." That really translated to, "I got an idea that I like but I can't pull it off on my own, and I need your help." Seth always had ideas that were indeed good, he just lacked the man power.

"Go ask Lance, he'll might help." I said it more as a joke than anything.

"He already is, and so is everyone else man! That's what makes this so exiteing!!!" That's when I thought one of the seven words I'm not supposed to say, which one I will not mention. when Seth gets exited things go baaaaaaaaaaad. At least for everyone around him, things go fine for him.

The fact that he had got the group together for a meeting of some sort, that was a first. It really might be exiteing. "So tell me this idea of yours..." I asked lighting up a cigarette and placing it between my lips.

"Well, I was thinking, 'What could we do to remember Julean' when-"

"When you realized, 'Wait a minute, funerals have already been created, damn'?" I couldn't resist, I wasn't the comic relief of the group for no reason y'know.

"Ha ha ha. No smartass. I figured, why not hold a tournament in his honor? We could charge fifteen-"

I snapped, simple as that. I pulled a Russell, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the wall. "You bastard, you're doing this just for a profit! Your just using Julez' name as honey for flys!!!"

Seth had a really calm expression on his face. He looked me straight in the eyes and he said the following, "Isn't it you that always told me that everything end in profit or debt? Isn't that your little philosophy? Look I'm really sorry the guy died, but life goes on..."

I held him tighter at first, then realized he was right, I had that before, so I really couldn't complain. "Fine. You win, so anyway, what type of tournament is this?"

"It's an alchemist's tournament! I've placed posters all over Rush Valley, and I've got friends that I called placing them everywhere else! Anyone who's anyone-"

"That's a shame..." I said taking a deep drag, "'Cause we both know I don't use alchemy anymore."

"There's the kicker!" Seth said, pulling out a rolled up sheet. It was one of the posters, with weapons and alchemy circles all over it.

"Pretty pictures." I said as I chuckled a bit.

"Look here, it says, 'those who have no alchemic ability may still join'. Dylon Can't even USE alchemy and he'll be there!" He almost seemed to be begging me to come.

I exhaled a large puff of smoke as a let my head fall, "Fine, I'll be there..."

"Great, well I gotta go, posters to place, people to tell!" He walked out of the room in a hurry and rushed toward the door. "Later!"

"Later." I said waving, as I watched him exit the inn from my room up the stairs. I turned to go into the room and head in for the night when I heard a voice.

"Charles!" Alex yelled up.

"What Alex?" I asked in a very annoyed tone.

"Keep slammin' people against my walls, and they're gonna break. I won't be paying for that, understand? Stop try and stop, 'kay?"

"I can try."


End file.
